A learning, mentorship, and opportunity platform that helps aspiring designers grow from beginners into professionals.
Design Circle is the home where aspiring designers learn the craft, connect with the community, and gain real-world experience. A platform that bridges the gap between education and professional practice, helping beginners grow into confident designers while creating value for mentors, educators, and businesses.
Role
Product Designer — UX & UI, end to end
Type
Self-initiated product concept
Platform
Responsive web + mobile app
Tools
Figma · FigJam · Maze
Status
Concept → high-fidelity UI
Research
Conducted with ~90 design students across multiple colleges.
Self-initiated product concept · End-to-end UX/UI
01 · Context
The Problem & Opportunity
Learning design is easier than ever — becoming a professional designer is not.
Beginners learn through scattered courses and tutorials with no clear path to real work — and even strong graduates feel unprepared for clients, pricing, and real experience. Meanwhile, small businesses need affordable design but can’t reach agencies.
The opportunity: one space where aspiring designers gain real experience and mentorship, and businesses get accessible design.
02 · Objectives
Goals & Success Metrics
Create a Structured Learning Journey
Turn scattered learning resources into a structured path from beginner to professional.
Course completion rate
Learning path progression
User retention
Build Confidence Through Real-World Practice
Give beginners feedback, real projects, and professional skills in a supportive space.
Projects completed
Portfolios created
Feedback exchanges
Mentor sessions completed
Create a Win-Win Marketplace
Match aspiring designers with small businesses so both sides gain real value.
Successful project matches
Repeat clients
User satisfaction rating
Project completion rate
Help Designers Stay Current
Make industry trends, tools, and AI shifts accessible and actionable.
Weekly active users
Content engagement
Community participation
Returning visitors
03 · Scope
Scope
V1 — Core Experience (designed in this case study)
CommunityForum Q&A, designer profiles, work sharing, and peer feedback.
★DashboardTrack learning progress, projects, requests, earnings, activity, and achievements through a personalized dashboard experience.
★MarketplaceConnect aspiring designers with small businesses through project briefs, matching, collaboration, delivery, and ratings.
GamificationPoints, levels, achievements, and unlockable opportunities that encourage continuous growth.
Stay CurrentCurated design news, industry trends, AI tools, and practical guidance on emerging platforms and technologies.
V2 — Future Opportunities
Social media integration
Events and conference discovery
Advanced mentor analytics
Certifications and learning pathways
04 · Research
Research & Discovery
Research goals
Understand how beginners actually learn design, where they get stuck on the path to professional work, and what a platform would need to support them.
Methods
Built on a rare advantage: years of teaching and mentoring design students, seeing exactly where they struggle. To go deeper, I turned the problem into a structured assignment for ~90 students across several colleges — turning real users into co-designers — backed by competitive analysis.
Competitive landscape
Skillshare / UdemyStrong courses, but no community, mentorship, or real practice.
Behance / DribbbleGreat for showcasing, but built for professionals, not beginners; little guidance.
Fiverr / UpworkPaid work exists, but it’s competitive and unsafe for true beginners.
The gapNo single space combines learning + community + mentorship + safe first paid work.
Key insights
01
Resources are scattered
Beginners juggle YouTube, PDFs, and group chats, with no trusted home.
02
Learning feels lonely
Growth needs feedback, people, and belonging, not just videos.
03
There’s no bridge to “professional”
Knowing tools ≠ being ready for clients, pricing, or confidence.
04
First experience is the hardest to get
No job without a portfolio, no portfolio without a job.
05
Staying current feels overwhelming
AI tools, platforms, and workflows evolve fast, leaving beginners unsure which skills to prioritize or how to stay relevant.
05 · Rationale
Key Design Decisions
Every core decision traces back to a research insight — not a screen.
Why a Dashboard?
Beginners had no single place to see progress, projects, earnings, and momentum. The dashboard makes growth visible — and keeps them coming back.
Why Gamification?
Research showed motivation and consistency were the real blockers. Levels, points, and milestones turn slow progress into visible wins.
Why Marketplace + Mentorship?
Other platforms solve one problem each. Design Circle connects learning, mentorship, and first real paid work in one journey.
06 · Users
Who It’s For — Personas
Maya
in a design program
Building skills and a first portfolio. Wants structure, feedback, and real projects to feel ready for work.
guidanceconfidenceexperience
Ron
recently graduated or self-taught, not yet working
Has the skills but feels unprepared for real clients. Wants a safe first step — almost an internship.
real practicepricing & client skillsa bridge to professional
Adam
entering design from another field
Self-teaching, juggling time. Needs a clear roadmap and an encouraging community so they don’t quit.
structured pathmotivationbelonging
Lara
experienced designer
Shares knowledge, runs sessions, reviews work. Wants to teach, grow a following, and track their impact.
tools to teachvisibilitya dashboard of their activity
Ameer
needs affordable design
Not ready for an agency — in budget or mindset. Wants simple, trustworthy design help.
affordable designeasy processreliable results
07 · Structure
Information Architecture
Six core sections organize the whole experience — so a beginner always knows the next step, and the platform scales from a first lesson to a full path into the profession.
Design Circle
Learn
Courses
Workshops
Learning Paths
Portfolio Building
Community
Q&A
Share Work
Designer Profiles
Discussions
Dashboard
Progress
Earnings
Activity
Achievements & Levels
Profile Credibility
Marketplace
Find Projects
Project Briefs
Proposals
Ratings & Reviews
Collaboration & Delivery
Mentorship
Mentors
Book Session
Feedback & Guidance
Trends & News
Design Trends
AI Updates
Resources & Tools
Design Circle
The central hub of the platform
Learn
From fundamentals to job-ready skills
Courses
Workshops
Learning Paths
Portfolio Building
Community
Grow through feedback and peer support
Q&A
Share Work
Designer Profiles
Discussions
Dashboard
Progress, earnings, and momentum at a glance
Progress
Earnings
Activity
Achievements & Levels
Profile Credibility
Marketplace
Win real briefs and first paid work
Find Projects
Project Briefs
Proposals
Ratings & Reviews
Collaboration & Delivery
Mentorship
Get unstuck with 1:1 mentor guidance
Mentors
Book Session
Feedback & Guidance
Trends & News
Stay current with where design is heading
Design Trends
AI Updates
Resources & Tools
08 · Journeys
User Flows
I mapped the core journeys end to end — each one designed to move a user from intent to a real outcome (a delivered project, a booked session, useful feedback) in as few steps as possible.
Before visual design, I mapped the core screens in low fidelity — focusing on hierarchy, layout, and data structure, not styling. The four screens below carry the product's core experience.
Dashboard — KPIs, earnings, level progress, active projects, activity.Project Brief & Proposal — brief details with a proposal panel.Project Tracking — stages, deliverables, payment, and rating.Rewards & Achievements — levels, points, badges, leaderboard.
Mobile Experience
Mobile — Dashboard, Browse Projects, Project Tracking.Mobile — Explore, Workshop detail, Hire a Designer, Post a Project.
11 · Interface
High-Fidelity UI
After validating the information architecture and flows, I translated the experience into a scalable, data-driven interface focused on clarity, progress, and engagement.
Mobile app — learning, progress, and first projects in one home.12 · Next
What’s Next
The foundations are complete — research, architecture, flows, wireframes, and the core interface. Here’s what comes next as Design Circle grows into a full product.
Next
Visual Identity & Branding
Selecting the final logo direction and building a cohesive brand identity — color, type, and voice — that gives the platform a distinct, trustworthy personality.
Next
Design System
Developing a scalable design system — foundations, components, and reusable patterns — so the product stays consistent and fast to build as it grows.
Next
High-Fidelity UI & Prototype
Designing the remaining screens and an interactive prototype to validate the full end-to-end experience before development.
13 · Reflection
Outcome & Reflection
Design Circle shows how I research, structure, and design a complex, data-rich product end to end.
Conducted research with ~90 students and translated insights into product requirements.
Defined information architecture, user journeys, wireframes, and responsive interfaces.
Designed a scalable ecosystem connecting learning, mentorship, and real-world opportunities.
Built a strong foundation for future validation and product development.
